Spicy Poke Nachos are out of this world! Inspired from a dish at Kawaihae Kandyz in Hawaii, they’re super fresh and delicious. A little spicy, they’re served on the perfect gluten-free crunch. By the end of our week on the Big Island of Hawaii, I’d asked every local I’d met what their favorite place to eat was.

I promise you, this is how you will find the best, most authentic food! It’s almost always where the locals eat!

Remember when I went to Hawaii a few years ago, that’s how I found the Hale I’A Da Fish House, that I loved so much?Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other restaurants with fabulous menus and gorgeous, tasty food — and we ate at those, too.

For me though, part of traveling to other places is learning about their culture through their food, and the best way to do that is to go to the off-the-beaten-path places. At least three locals told me about Kawaihae Kandyz, so I had to try it.

It was about 45 minutes away from our resort, the Fairmont Orchid (about 30 minutes north of Kona). And it was well worth the (beautiful) drive! I was so excited to pull up to this colorful building where the restaurant was located.

The colors were so fun — just like the food!

In Hawaiian, the word poke simply means “chunk.”

Throughout history, poke could refer to any meat or seafood that was cut into small pieces and marinated. Today though, it will usually refer to seafood, and most often ahi tuna.

At Kawaihae Kandyz you order at a window, and there’s only outdoor seating — a handful of small tables and a long counter with chairs. It’s perfect.

Though they have fish tacos and several sides, like kimchi, pickled cucumber and mac salad, the menu is all about poke!

So of course I ordered the Poke Sampler and the Kandyz Sampler — this way I was able to try almost everything.

Each and every bite was absolutely delicious. Spot on!

Today I’m sharing a recipe I created for Spicy Poke Nachos, inspired by those included in the Kandyz Sampler.

It’s similar to theirs, but not exactly the same. Their nachos were served on crispy wontons and included a bit of seaweed and different sauces. Oh, and their ahi tuna was likely only out of the ocean for an hour! It was SO fresh! I made “chips” out of rice paper to keep the dish gluten-free so my son with Celiac wouldn’t miss out.

I might have even preferred them— they’re so light!

These Spicy Poke Nachos are an explosion exquisite flavors and textures. I really hope you try it! And should you find yourself on the Big Island in Hawaii, you should definitely try Kawaihae Kandyz.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the sesame oil, Tamari, Sriracha sauce and scallion. Stir to blend and and set aside.

Cut the tuna into a small dice and add it to the bowl. Mix to be sure it’s well coated with all of the ingredients and set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat about 3-inches of the grapeseed oil to 340 degrees F. (Amounts will depend on the size of the pan you choose.)

Cut the rice papers into six triangles each with scissors, and line a baking sheet with a layer of paper towels.

Once the oil is hot, drop the rice paper triangles into it, being sure there is space between them. They will turn bright white and puff up in literally 1 or 2 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on the towel-lined baking sheet. Once they’ve cooled, arrange them on a serving platter and then evenly distribute the poke on top.

Drizzle gingerly with a bit of the Sriracha and mayonnaise.

Serve!

Recipe Notes

If you don’t have a thermometer, to check the temperature of the oil, you can test it with a tiny piece of the rice paper. If it instantly sizzles and puffs up, it’s ready.

Valentina – just so many things about this post make me happy! First, learning how to make my own rice puffs is brilliant! I never knew you could do that. Second, The recipe for poke is brilliant! And, third, Hawi and Kapaau were our two favorite places on the big Island. They were quiet, local, and authentic. We had some of the best sushi of our lives in Hawi. I really wish I had known about Kawaihae Kandyz! Did you ever hike into the gorge just north of Waimea? Sigh… now I want to go back to Hawaii!

We LOVE the big island! We didn’t do that hike, but we did go down the Kilauea’iki Trail to one of the black sand beaches. I spent most of my time sitting in a chair directly in the lagoon at our hotel. 😉 Next time we go I’ll have to hit you up for where you ate! Cheers! XOXO

Absolutely! I hope our favorite places are all still there! And you definitely need to do that hike – it is a hidden gem. Seriously one of the most magical and spectacular hikes (and easy!) that I have done. Happy weekend!

I’m Valentina Wein, certified chef, mom of two boys, owner, recipe developer and photographer here at Cooking on the Weekends. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining. Read more about my love of food and cooking.

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